Joy Kong, MDRegenerative Medicine Physician, Educator, and Entrepreneur

Hollywood Said Stay Quiet. She Said No

23 Apr 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:57

In this personal monologue, the speaker recounts being advised by Hollywood producers to hide her mental‑health diagnosis for fear it would label her as difficult to work with. She kept the condition secret for years until hearing others share their stories, which inspired her to become a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) ambassador. After attending a NAMI speaking event, she felt compelled to prioritize advocacy over career concerns and launched a podcast that interviews celebrities, actors, musicians, and doctors about their mental‑health journeys. The speaker emphasizes that sharing authentic stories can help others feel less alone and may even save lives, encouraging listeners to speak up when they are ready.

Chapters

When I was first diagnosed, I was told by some people that represented me, producers and stuff, they were like, you probably shouldn't tell anyone about it because it's going to make you sound difficult and hard to work with on set. And so I kept it hidden for years. Finally, I heard other people share their stories and it had moved me so much. I'm an ambassador for NAMI, which is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. I had gone to one of their speaking engagements. I remember being so moved by these people that were coming up there and sharing their real life experiences. For me, I was like, I don't really care what this does for my career at this point. And that's how the podcast kind of started, interviewing other celebrities, actors, musicians, doctors, sharing their own personal journeys with mental health and mental wellness. And just to know that we're not alone and how important it is that when you are ready to share your story, how you really can save a life whether you know it or not.